Sunday, March 13, 2016

After years of struggling with infertility and a very painful year of treatments, my hubby and I are pregnant. Of course, true to form, the pregnancy has been one difficult challenge after another. The latest: I am on "modified bed rest" at 4.5 months along due to placenta previa. It's definitely been a lesson on expectations, irony and letting go.

During this forced downtime, in order to avoid going crazy I've been researching a whole slew of things, including cloth diapering.

And wow- is that an ever overwhelming world of choices and decisions.

I remembered this from a post I did years back on cloth diapers over on EcoYogini- my takeaway was that the actual event isn't ridiculously difficult, but the choices and decisions that need to be made can be frightfully overwhelming. That doesn't seem to have changed.

After some research I have an idea as to what type of diaper might fit my style and family the best- either the ones where you just change the insert (not a stuffed pocket diaper, but one with a cover) or the prefolds OR the all in ones. I'm just not sure if these styles will actually fit the little bean once she arrives- since body types and babies seem to be the ones who actually choose the diaper in the end.

My biggest dilemma:

Should I:
1. Start cloth diapering right away to get used to it and never be tempted by the convenience of disposables, or wait a few months until the baby grows and can fit into the diapers that are one size and will last longer?

2. Should I buy a limited amount of different kinds of diapers to start, and once the baby and we figure out what works best go out and purchase that kind OR

3. Make a best guess, save money by getting a bunch of those kinds as gifts or as a package and hope for the best (so I'm not having to make decisions about diapers in a sleep deprived state?).

Sunday, February 21, 2016

A few months ago, I finally took the plunge and leased an electric vehicle, a BMW i3. My commute had increased and, with public transit and carpooling not an option, I felt guilty over the gas that my car (a Prius) was guzzling. I had been waiting and watching for years for a real electric vehicle. Even though the perfect one wasn't out there, yet, I decided to go for it.

After three months of driving electric, I wonder what took me so long. First, electric vehicles are so smooth to drive. No herking or jerking. They are also virtually silent. Add to that the EVs are essentially maintenance free and you never need to stop at a gas station. Here are a bunch of other reasons that EVs rock.

Why exactly did I wait to invest in an EV? I'll bet these are the same reasons stopping others as well.

But EVs are so small! I'm waiting for an electric SUV to come out. Six years ago, I bombed around town in a minivan, sucking up gas like there was no tomorrow. After waiting forever for an electric SUV or minivan, I downsized to a Prius. It was an adjustment! I could not carry around as much stuff - or kids. So sorry that I cannot drive and supervise 6 kids on the field trip, teacher! After a month or two in the Prius, though, I slimmed down. I carted around less sports equipment, fewer books, smaller luggage. I even started a Pinterest board called Camping in a Prius and invested in smaller items for camping trips.

I realized that I was truly free, though, when I ordered some plants and a tree from a local native plant nursery. I asked to have them delivered because I could not fit them in my car. The delivery person pulled up in a Prius. Yup! Turns out, all you have to do is put the back seats down.

My current vehicle has a cargo space about half of a Prius. Never had an issue!

The point of all that is to say that who really knows when there will be an electric SUV or minivan out there. Tesla has been promising their Model X forever and there are now a few on the road. As a good friend and fellow i3 driver pointed out: the Model X is actually pretty small! Not to mention super pricey and subject to a hella long wait list. I've heard rumors of a Volkswagen van but I'm not holding my breath. Mercedes and Ford have small EV station wagons that might be worth checking out. We can keep waiting - forever - or lose some weight (a ton!) and enjoy the benefits of never stopping at a gas station again!

But, but, but range anxiety... Yeah, I initially freaked out over this. My car only gets about 70-80 miles per charge. It covers my commute and I just plug in whenever I have the opportunity. I've yet to get below 20 miles remaining.

I confess that I haven't taken this baby on any road trips yet. Which isn't to say that I won't because charging stations are popping up left and right. However, we still have one gas vehicle, which seems to be common for most of my EV driving pals. The gas vehicle is used for whichever partner has the shortest commute as well as for longer drives.

What if they come out with something better!?! Well, I sure hope they do! That is why I only signed my car up for a 2 year lease. In two years, there should be a Chevy Bolt that can go 200 miles on a charge. Telsa may have introduced their Model 3. BMW and Nissan are working on bigger, better, longer driving cars as well. I rolled the dice, collected my rebate and came home with a very manageable monthly payment.

My EV Runs on Sunshine. Okay, this is not a problem. It is, however, the icing on the cake. I charge my EV with my solar panels. Take that, fossil fuel industry!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Is there anything better than a long, hot shower? Especially this time of year? Seriously, coming in from a cold walk or after a brisk snowshoe, a hot shower can warm your bones and clean away the sweat in the most refreshing way possible.

Personally though, I find it way too easy to waste time daydreaming and singing my way through Adele's latest hits (badly, I might add), rather than sticking to the necessities of actually getting clean and getting out in a timely manner.

Unfortunately, as we all know, water is a finite resource. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have flowing fresh water at our easy disposal should be cautious to reserve as much as possible, rather than let it flow down the drain.

1. Check out a low-flow shower head.
Unless you have super thick hair, chances are you don't need to have extreme pressure all the time. I know some people think the water should pelt you to an almost painful degree, but if you can still rinse with a little less, then give it a try.

2. Shut the tap when you shampoo and shave.
The water definitely does not need to stay running while you're getting your lather on. 3. Set a timer.
You could use an old-fashioned kitchen timer or, if you know all the words to Paradise by the Dashboard Light, you can sing your way to an 8-minute shower.

4. Cool it down.
Does it have to be burning hot? Not likely. If you can keep your cool and still get clean, you'll save the energy from heating up all the water needed for your shower.

And here's a bonus tip:

When I was an undergrad my house had an upstairs and a downstairs shower with which a couple of my roommates would have "shower races." Someone would start the timer and whomever made it back to the living room first (clothed but usually still totally damp) would win.What are your best tips to keep your showers short?

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Like many people these days, I'm not a fan of making new years resolutions that will be long forgotten before the end of February. I do, however, like to reflect upon how things are going and check in with how I'm feeling overall in the lull after the craziness of the holiday season. I like to choose one little word for the year to guide me and help me reflect back upon what is important to me. In previous years I have chosen make, move, breathe and grateful.

This year it is important for me to choose mindfulness.

I have been feeling like I have lost a little bit of control and have not been present is with my commitment to living what I preach environmentally. Since returning to work full time and being sick on and off all autumn I have done what I needed to survive, even if it has meant occasionally ordering take out food, grabbing food on the go and doing what is convenient.

I have not had time to spend outdoors on a regular basis, and this has been very hard for me. I feel more relaxed, happier, and have more energy after even a short walk along our local river. People care more about making environmental choices when they care about the world around them. When people spend time in nature and connecting with the natural world it is an important step toward living environmentally.

When I get regular exercise and meditate, or even pause to breathe, I have increased clarity, greater satisfaction and I feel calmer and able to deal with what life throws at me.

While my daughters were at their activities, Ichose to take a walk along a local river and stop in my HappyPlace to reflect and breathe mindfully instead of crammingin several errands. It was a good choice.

This year I am trying to be mindful of what I am doing and experiencing in the moment. I want to treat moments like a walking meditation, rather than something to get through. I realize that there are times when I need to be hyper aware of all that is going on and coming up, and times when I will need to multitask, but I want to balance those with mindful moments.

In my school district we teach mindfulness as a way to help students self regulate. We teach lessons on the parts of the brain and their functions, what happens in the brain during stress and how breathing calms the fight or flight response. Other lessons focus on being present and mindful with their sensory experience, and gratitude. In my class things get crazy busy and we forget to breathe mindfully three times a day. For the month of January my students and I are working on slowing down, and I have written the word "slow" in a prominent location on the board to remind us to stop rushing through things and cramming in more activities.

Ways I want to focus on being mindful this year:

find ways to increase my time outdoors on the weekends

reflect regularly on the choices I make (reducing the amount I purchase, recycle)

promote and encourage outdoor time with my daughters

continue to grow my own food in my backyard garden

find time in my daily routine for regular mindful breathing

continue to use a mindful breathing routine in my class

limit use of my iPhone when I am outdoors

continue to focus on gratitude in my life

Time to get back to this spot and breathe: whatdo I see, hear, smell and feel?